Piano manufacturer Yamaha is to provide support to young pianists across the UK and Ireland via the launch of its annual Yamaha Music Foundation of Europe Scholarship Awards.

The company is now accepting applications for the 2011 scheme, with students of full-time music courses at higher education institutions born after 1985 all eligible to take part.

Four grants of Â£2,000 will be made available to talented musicians who submit two contrasting recordings, with ten finalists set to perform before a judging panel at Trinity College of Music on February 8th 2011.

The scheme has been running since 1989 and now operates in 31 European nations, with more than 850 scholarships having been awarded so far.

Mike Ketley, Yamaha's director of corporate affairs, said: "Supporting up-and-coming musicians is central to our philosophy and we know the programme often plays a pivotal role in both assisting students expand their studies and getting noticed by the media and industry."

This comes after Yamaha helped Manchester-based music school Chetham's to promote its second annual Piano Competition for Young Pianists in July 2010.

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